Grants Awarded to Study Healthy Baby Sleep Habits

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Grants Awarded to Study Healthy Baby Sleep Habits

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama agencies are getting grant money to try and reduce sleep-related infant deaths. The National Institutes of Health is giving more than 30 state agencies $47,000 to study sudden unexplained infant deaths. 303 babies died between 2012 and 2014 due to things like accidental suffocation, entrapment in bedding or overheating. Research indicates babies’ sleep practices in Alabama are influenced by social, environmental, and cultural norms and racial inequalities prevent some babies from having a healthy start in life. These mini-grants have been awarded to faith-based institutions, hospitals, and community groups to conduct educational workshops.